


if it's not you, it's not anyone

by peraltiagox



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, New Year's Eve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:29:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28529247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peraltiagox/pseuds/peraltiagox
Summary: Jake and Amy ring in the new year and reflect on the hurdles & challenges they've had to overcome - looking ahead at the future they have together.Set sometime after HalloVeenTitle taken form Justin Bieber's new song,Anyone
Relationships: Jake Peralta & Amy Santiago, Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago
Comments: 7
Kudos: 35





	if it's not you, it's not anyone

**Author's Note:**

> I adore these two so much and just felt like writing a short little festive/new year's fluffy fic, so I wrote this quickly 🥰 (sorry for any typos!) Enjoy!!

A small child — of five, maybe seven years old (Jake’s never been good with knowing the ages of young children) — whizzes past him as he makes his way down the wooden staircase. He glances down at the sight below him, a warm comforting feeling rising in his heart that causes a wide smile to spread across his face. It’s an image of something he’s always wanted, of something he’s wished for, but never really got to experience it till now. And as he descends down his smile only grows impossibly wider as his eyes meets the glowing light that is Amy Santiago — his _fiancée_.

The two had been swamped with work through Christmas — news flash, crime _doesn’t_ stop in NYC for the holidays — and thus, they were unable to make it to all the family festivities. They instead had an intimate evening on their couch after a night’s worth of paperwork, eating pizza and falling asleep to some Christmas movie on Netflix.

Although, because of how many hours they put in, they legally could not go in to work for the next three days — and so joined the Santiago clan in Jersey for the end of the year, celebrating the New Year’s in the best way possible. Victor & Camila’s cabin — a warm, cozy log cabin that smells of pine and wood was their residence for the few days and Jake was loving it. They were joined by all of Amy’s brothers and their significant others, plus several Santiago children — all packed into the cabin. At first it was overwhelming, but right now the fireplace was crackling providing warmth to the living area, a hearty laugh comes from Victor and several of Amy’s brothers join in the laughter, and Jake wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. It’s the way at every meal there’s a drink that spills all over someone’s shirt, and how the siblings while in their thirties to forties, still squabble like teenagers — it’s the way that there’s always someone laughing or crying that feels like _family._ And the thing is, it doesn’t even feel like Jake is intruding on their family. He gets to play basketball with Tony and Nic, he helps Camila out in the kitchen and holds newborn Matthew as he falls asleep. It’s all so new and unlike anything he’s experienced — but this may be the closest he gets to a large family gathering where chaos and love collide, and Jake is beyond honored to be included in it. And, pretty soon, as reminded by the glimmer of the stone resting on Amy’s left ring finger, they would make it official — he would for reals be a part of Amy’s family. The thought itself makes him giddy and his heart skip a beat.

He doesn’t tear his gaze off of Amy as he pads over back to join the group huddled around the fire chatting and laughing.She shifts on the couch to allow him to slide in against her side, handing her his navy blue hoodie that he’d gone up to retrieve in lieu of his fiancée shivering despite being right next to the fire.

Amy smiles a glorious smile up at him as she takes the hoodie and slides her arms through it, sighing immediately as she hugs it against herself.

“Thanks, babe,” she whispers and cranes her neck to peck him on the cheek, and instead of drawing back she shifts closer to him, nuzzling her nose into his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his torso. Jake grins at how touchy and slightly clingy she’s been, regardless that they were gathered around her entire family, Amy hasn’t shied away from having an arm around him, hand rested against his thigh or leaning up to kiss him chastely amidst them. This may have to do with the fact they just got engaged and the excitement of it is still buzzing through them. Jake literally hasn’t been able to stop smiling, so much so that his cheeks actually hurt, but he doesn’t care.

“I love you,” he feels Amy mumble into his shoulder and this is yet another thing — the proclamation of love — that they’ve taken to keep repeating. Really, they were on a high and so in love with one another, Jake could barely go a few minutes without reminding Amy that he loves her, and vice versa.

“Love you too, Ames.” He pauses to press his lips against her hair and throw an arm around her to tug her even closer. “So much.”

They cuddle in each other’s embrace as they watch the fire flicker and listen to Victor tell stories from when he was a cop. It’s just shy thirty minutes before the new year and while he’s enjoying drinking champagne and laughing alongside Amy’s brothers whilst listening to Mr. Santiago share about the time he went undercover, Jake can’t help but want some time alone with his soon to be wife before ringing in the new year.

Amy seems to be thinking the same thing because just as he leans down, she tugs on his sleeve and meets his eyes.

“D’you wanna go out for a bit?”

He looks down at her glimmering eyes and nods, shifting and pulling both of them up as they sneak out of the living room, through the kitchen and out to the back porch. A breeze bites their skin as they step out into the cool winter, and the leaves rustle in response. Jake instinctively wraps an arm around Amy, tucking her into him as she shivers, guiding them towards the small bench in the corner, overlooking the vast woods. There’s a blanket folded and Jake grabs it, laying it across the two of them, Amy sighing contentedly as she snuggles into him again, head rested against his chest and hand sliding around him to tug him even closer.

They sit in comfortable silence, with Jake’s arm slung around her and tracing patterns against her back, drawing the most soft and adorable exhales from her. And as he feels her warm breath against his neck, listening to the muted buzz of the evening’s celebrations from inside, he thinks back on the year they’ve had.

While it didn’t start out great, with being wrongfully accused of crime and spending eight weeks in prison, Jake thinks it’s only made being with Amy that much more special. He’s come to treasure time with her even more, and he swears he falls in love with her more and more each day. Don’t get him wrong, prison sucked — being away from Amy sucked and at times he wondered if she’d have stuck around if he was locked up for 15 years. But right now, with her currently wrapped in his arms and her family just inside, he can’t help but be a little emotional. She waited for him, she agreed to marry him — to spend her life with him. She holds him when he wakes up trembling from a nightmare, she calms him down when he stars spiraling, she buys him orange soda and watches Die Hard with him, and she chases all his doubts and insecurities away. She makes him a better person, makes him feel better about his place in this world. It’s incredible and Jake just feels so _happy._

“What are you thinking about?”

Her voice breaks him out of his thoughts as her hand rises to cup his cheek, running a thumb across and he blinks, now realizing there are tears brimming at the corners. She quickly wipes it away and he looks down at her, smiling and running his hand down her back to rest against her waist.

“You’kay babe?”

Jake nods, blinking away the tears that threaten to spill out again simply at how soft and gentle her voice is.

“Yeah…” he mumbles, “just thinking ‘bout the year we had…and, how much I love you.”

Amy lifts her head off his chest and looks at him with just the purest, most gorgeous look of affection.

“Oh, Jake…” her hands slide up into his hair and he leans down, foreheads resting against each other, “…I love you so much.”

Jake sighs and closes his eyes furrowing his eyebrows.

“What’s wrong babe?”

Her hand slides down to squeeze his bicep comfortingly as he tries to put his thoughts into words.

“I just— it’s just, I’m thinking of…of what would’ve happened if I was still in prison and—and…”

She tenses under his arms and his eyes flick open immediately and she cuts him off quickly.

“Jake—you-you aren’t, you aren’t there anymore. You’re here, we got you out and—and never, you’re _never,_ going back, okay?”

Jake sighs and manages a small smile at her, but there’s still a thought that’s nagging at him.

“B-but what if I was…? What if, I mean I was just thinking about it y’know…and I don’t know — I’m so happy right now, and I can’t wait to _marry you…_ ”

Her left hand slides down his arm and he runs his thumb over her ring, a gentle reminder of a promised future together. But although it’s promised and they’re both over the moon about getting married as soon as possible, Jake can’t help but think of the hurdles that they’ve had to overcome — the extremely horrible, terrifying hurdles…

“Two years ago there was Florida, then prison this year and I don’t know, I just can’t help but think —think what’ll happen next? All this—” he gestures between them then at the cabin and they both glance inside just in time to see Ben jumping up to tackle Nic right into the couch as Camila comes out to chastise them. Jake lets out a small chuckle before directing his attention back to Amy who’s now looking at him intently, a smile still there but concern etched into her forehead and eyes glazed with unshed tears.

“—all this is _so perfect,_ Ames. It’s all I’ve every wanted…and more. And we’re getting married and I _cannot wait,_ but-but, I just can’t chase the feeling away that some—something’s gonna go wrong…and I…I’m happy, but I’m scared, Ames.”

Jake exhales and with their fingers still locked together, she runs a thumb over his knuckles, then shifts slightly, pulling herself up so that she’s half-sitting on his lap, the need to be as close as possible an unspoken but persistent need.

“Jake, babe…I-I’m scared too,” she sighs and smiles, letting a single tear flow down, “and—and you’re right, we don’t know what’ll happen next…w-we can’t predict the future, we don’t know what’s ahead and god knows there are so many things that are out of our control…but y’know how I know we’ll be okay?”

Jake tilts his head and squeezes her hand to tell her to continue.

“We fight for each other. Yeah, Florida sucked and prison was hell — but we got through it. And—and life will keep throwing shit at us. But I’ll keep fighting for you — no matter what. And, and I think you’ll do the same…”

She trails off and looks up at him through her eyelashes and he nods his head insistently and her smile grows and Jake feels at peace. She tightens her grip on his hand and the other curls against the nape of his neck playing with the overgrown curls there.

“Together, we can get through anything. And god forbid if one of us gets taken away and we’re forcefully separated — I’d wait and give anything to have just one more moment of _this.”_

Jake leans down as she cranes her neck towards him, bridging the small gap between them and as their lips mold together gently and full of emotion, that nagging feeling of doubt dissipates into the cool wintery air, and he’s guided into a warm, comforting presence of his fiancée, and—

“Hey! Hey! Lovebirds!”

Jake pulls away from Amy at the sudden intrusion, looking over by the door to see Max, Amy’s youngest brother smirking at them. Amy groans and leans her head on Jake’s shoulder and Jake can’t help but chuckle slightly.

“What do you want!?” Amy mumbles into Jake, obviously annoyed at the rude interruption of their perfectly peaceful little bubble.

“Well—it’s like, 11:57 so when you’re done making out, d’you wanna come in and ring in the new year’s with your family?”

Amy hums but doesn’t make effort to move, only nuzzling further under Jake’s chin, and while he doesn’t want to get up, only wants to continue cuddling with Amy under the warmth of the blanket and the safety of her arms, this _is_ the reason they’re here at the cabin, y’know, to celebrate the new year with the family.

So Jake sighs and lifts his chin off her, tugging the blanket off of them slowly.

“C’mon Ames…”

Amy whines but slides off of Jake’s lap reluctantly, but keeps an arm wrapped around his arm as they stand up together. As they walk into the cabin behind Max, Jake smiles, taking in the smell of candles burning, and hot chocolate wafting in the air.

“Thanks, Max.”

Max smirks back at them and mutters so only he and Amy can hear.

“No problem…but just to let you know Ames,” Amy glances over suspiciously at her younger brother, “the walls in this cabin are pretty thin…so, I’d be careful about doing anything _other_ than making ou— _ouch!_ Hey!”

Amy smacks him in the arm _hard,_ and Jake is laughing, chest rumbling as he pulls Amy back into him.

“ _Shut up_ Maxwell.”

She shakes her head at him as he scurries off into the crowd of Santiagos, as Ben comes over and hands two glasses of champagne to the them.

“There you guys are! C’mon, join us! It’s just a minute till midnight!”

Amy smiles and they take their glasses, huddling into the living space as kids start blowing noisemakers and tossing balloons around. Jake looks down at Amy who’s already gazing up at him and leans into her more, an arm around her shoulder, his other hand tucking loose strands of hair behind her ear.

_10…_

Everyone starts chanting the countdown and Amy glows — their eyes never leave each other even as a child screams and Jake’s pretty sure there’s champagne spilling on the floor.

_9…_

Jake shifts his stance to face her fully and leans his forehead down as a balloon bursts and Max laughs loudly.

_8…_

Amy has her arms wrapped around his neck and Jakes hands slide down to her waist and they revel in each other’s gaze.

_7…_

Jake’s heart clenches as he uses these last seconds to reminisce on the year they’ve had — how _hard_ it was, how he hates being separated from Amy. But that anxiety he has for the future, the unknown of what’s ahead and what could happen — all the anxiety isn’t there.

_6…_

The cool band on Amy’s left hand slides against his neck and Jake’s reminded of the future that _they_ have together. That while he doesn’t know what next year would hold — he has Amy.

_5…_

“I love you, Jake.” Her voice is barely audible above the loud anticipation of everyone surrounding them, but _Amy loves him._ And it’s all he needs for his heart to expand in his chest.

_4…_

For once he’s excited, he can’t wait for the new year and for what it holds, he can’t wait for more life with Amy, to start a new chapter together.

_3…_

“I love you too, Amy.” He leans in closer, feeling the anticipation and excitement bubble inside of him and he can’t help but add… “this is gonna be the best year yet.”

_2…_

And he means it. He believes it wholeheartedly.

_1…_

Amy grins widely and they join their lips enthusiastically. Cheers erupt around them, a loud song plays through the speakers and the sound of noisemakers fill the air but to Jake it’s them and only them. Her hands tug him down as she deepens the kiss, his arms slide up her back, pouring all his love, and excitement into the kiss.

They eventually break from the kiss due to their inability to stop smiling. Jake glances over at their glasses of champagne which somehow they set down in the process of getting wrapped up in one another, and passes one glass to Amy.

She takes it from him and they go back to their previous position, standing side by side and they both laugh, taking in the scene in front of them, a chaotic but warm-hearted picture of family and love.

“Happy New Years Amy.”

Amy glances back at him and they clink their glasses.

“Happy New Year Jake.”

They both take a sip and she leans back against his shoulder whispering in words of peace that washes over him, “It really will be the best year yet.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!! Let me know what you thought! Kudos & comments are much appreciated ❤️  
> Happy New Year, hope that 2021 is better for all of us🎉


End file.
